Brush holder



Aug. 4, 1959 1.. E. JONES BRUS-l HOLDER Filed Dec. 21, 1953 INVENTOR.

LLOYD E (To/v55,

4.6" 20 BY r m4? {W I ATT ENEY- United States Fatent BRUSH HQLDER Lloyd E. Jones, Arcadia, Calif assignor to Industrial Brush Company, Inc, Arcadia, Calif., a corporation of California Application December 21, 1953, Serial No. 399,485

9 Claims. (Cl. -183) This invention relates to a brush holder and, more particularly, to an adjustable, self-aligning, multi-purpose brush holder for strip-brush elements utilized for industrial purposes on equipment such as street sweepers, scarifiers, and the like.

The strip-brush elements with which the brush holder of this invention may be employed may include a channelshaped member provided with bristles extending from the open face of said member, said bristles being secured therein in any suitable manner. Such strip-brush elements have heretofore been secured to a brush holding core or cylinder by means of longitudinally extending grooves formed in the face of a cylinder and adapted to receive a strip-brush element. Strip-brush elements were heretofore secured by spaced locking means which usually included a headed screw bolt threaded into the core and clamping the strip-brush element against walls of the groove. Such prior method of mounting strip-brush elements on a core had several disadvantages including the difficulty of replacing the strip-brush element when worn,

the difiic-ulty of accurately positioning and aligning the strip-brush element on the core, and the absence of radially outwardly directed adjustment so as to maintain a selected diameter of the brush cylinder as wear reduced the length of the bristles.

This invention contemplates a multi-purpose brush holder for strip-brush elements wherein the disadvantages of prior proposed brush holders are obviated. The brush holder of this invention is characterized by a plurality of self-aligning lever-action metal holder bars adapted to securely grasp and support one or more strip-brush elements. The metal holder bars are so designed that one or more strip-like brush elements may be supported in line or in parallel and the metal holder bars are supported in such a manner that they may be readily adjusted in a radial direction so as to compensate for bristle wear or provide a brush means of a selected configuration such as cylindrical, conical, frustro-conical, or the like.

t is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to disclose and provide a novel adjustable multi-purpose brush holder for strip-brush elements comprising a plurality of cooperable elongated metal holder bars.

An object of this invention is to disclose and provide a novel brush holder wherein continuous support is provided for a strip-brush element along its entire length.

Another object of this invention is to disclose and provide a brush holder which cooperates with the strip-brush element to further grip the bristles held by said element.

A further object of this invention is to disclose and provide a metal brush holder in which strip-brush elements may be easily and readily removed and replaced.

Still another object of this invention is to disclose and provide a brush holder wherein arrangement of stripbrush elements in line or in parallel is facilitated.

The invention also contemplates a strip-brush holder which may be conveniently adjustably supported upon a plurality of longitudinally spaced circular spider members- Fatented Aug. 4-, 1959 carried by a shaft or axle forming a core for the brush means.

A still further object of the invention is to disclose a metal holder bar having means cooperable with corresponding means on a matingbar to facilitate engagement alignment and nesting of said bars to provide a selfaligning lever-acting brush holder.

Generally speaking, the brush holder of this invention includes a plurality of cooperable elongated metal holder bars each having a longitudinal edge portion angularly inclined to the remainder of the bar and a longitudinal rib extending from the same side of the bar as the inclined edge portion. Means are carried by the inclined edge portions to facilitate alignment and nesting of lower margins of said edge portions so as to afford a fulcrum line about which adjacent bars may be pivoted. Means are also provided on said ribs for cooperable engagement, and outwardly from said ribs wedge means are provided for grasping and urging a strip-brush element against said ribs when securing means for said holder bars are tightened.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the drawings in which exemplary embodiments of this invention are shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary generally diagrammatic end view of a brush means embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the brush means shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken along line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through a brush holder of this invention in a closed or grasping position and showing a holder for a plurality of stripbrush elements in parallel relation.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the holder in Fig. 3 illustrating the holder bars in open position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a different embodiment of this invention showing a brush holder for a single strip-brush element.

Fig. 6 is an exploded-fragmentary sectional view of Fig. 5.

In Figs. 1 and 2, an exemplary brush means generally indicated at 10 is shown. The brush means 10 may be utilized for industrial purposes and may be cylindrical in form. For purposes of clarity, brush holders generally indicated at 11 have been arranged in spaced relation. It is understood that the brush holders 11 may be I ment carries two brush strip elements 12 in parallel relation. One or more brush strip elements 12 may be carried by holder 11.

The brush strip elements 12 are of well-known form and are not part of this invention. Each brush strip element 12 includes a channel-shaped member 13 and a plurality of brush bristles 14 extending outwardly from the open face of the member 13. The bristles are secured in the member 13 by a rod 15 around which the bristles are turned and by the grasping of the bristles by the walls of the member '12. Each strip element may be of any pro-selected length.

The brush means 10 may comprise an axle or shaft 17 having a selected length for rotatable mounting in a machine. On the axle 17 a plurality of longitudinally spaced generally circular spider members 18 may be secured as by keys 19. Each spider-like member 18 may have a brush holder supporting element 20 stamped there from adjacent the circumferential edge of member 18. The stamping out of element 29 provides a radially inwardly extending recess 21. The element 20 may be bent connected together.

into a plane lying at right angles to the plane of spider member 18 and parallel to the axis of axle 17. The recesses 21 on the spider-like members 18 may be aligned so as to receive brush holders 11 whereby the holders 11 may be supported at spaced points by an adjustable means hereinafter described.

The brush holder 11 may comprise a plurality of elongated extruded metal side holder bars in mating relation .as exemplary shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5. The embodiment shown in Fig. includes only two side holder bars 25, while the embodiment in Fig. 3 includes two side holder bars 25 of identical configuration and construction as those shown in Fig. 5 and an intermediate bar 25. The intermediate bar 25' cooperates with a side bar 25 in the same manner as a side bar 25 in Fig. 5 cooperates with its mating bar 25. Therefore,'for brevity and clarity, the following detailed description of a side bar 25 will apply to bars of both embodiments shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5.

Outer side bars25 differ in section only in that the said bars are rightand left-hand bars. Each side bar 25 may comprise a strip of extruded metal having a width substantially greater than the thickness of the metal section thereof, said width determining a major plane for the holder bar. Each side bar includes an external surface 26 and ajmajor internal surface 27 which parallels the external surface. An upper or outer longitudinal edge portion 28 lies in the major plane of the bar and a lower or inner longitudinal edge portion 29 extends angularly therefrom and terminates in a lower margin 30 lying beyond the plane of the major internal surface. A longitudinal rib 31 lies parallel to the edge portions 28 and 29 and extends inwardly from the internal surface in spaced relation to the upper longitudinal edge portion 28. The rib 31 extends away from the internal surface 27 on the same side of the bar as the angularly inclined edge portion 29 for approximately the same distance as edge portion 29.

Means are carried by the lower margins 30 of the rightand left-hand bars 25 to facilitate engagement alignment and nesting of said margins when the bars are The lower margin 30 on each side bar is provided with a longitudinally extending face portion 32 lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the major internal surface. Face portions 32 are adapted to abut :along their length when the side bars are connected.

Extending parallel to face portion 32 on one side bar,

may be formed a right angle notch 33 adapted to receive a longitudinally extending corner portion 34 carried by .the other side bar 25. The corner portion 34 is adapted to be received within the notch 33 when the face portions 32 are in abutment. Such an arrangement of face portions 32, notch 33, and corner portion 34 provides a nesting arrangement of the lower margins 30 whereby the side bars 25 may be separated in angular relation with the .corner portion and notch serving as a fulcrum line. Such nesting facilitates engagement alignment of the side bars ;25 for the entire length of the holder. The corner portion 34 and notch 33 cooperate along longitudinally extending faces which serve to support the two mating bars in desired parallel relationship. 1

Each rib 31 may also be provided with cooperable .means on their edge'faces for facilitating positioning of the holder bars 25.

In this example, said cooperable means may include a V-shaped groove 36 on the edge face of one rib 31 and a complementary V-shaped tongue 37 on the mating rib 31. When the holder bars 25 are connected together, the cooperable means 36 and 37 serve -to retain said bars in proper relationship and to provide .a composite mating rib'extending'yirtually entirely -between the bars 25 adjacent to the upper longitudinal edge portions 28.

Means for tightly grasping the strip-brush elements 12 in a manner so that the composite ribs 31 alford continuous longitudinal support for the strip-brush elements may include a longitudinally extending wedge face 38 on each upper longitudinal edge portion 28, said wedge face being inclined outwardly and away from the plane of the major internal surface 27. As seen in Fig. 5, the upper longitudinal edge portions 28 and mating ribs 31 form a longitudinally extending pocket for receiving and holding a strip-brush element and wherein the wedge faces 38 tend to urge the channel member of the strip-brush element inwardly and against the mating ribs 31. In addition, the wedge faces 38 may serve to aid or support the channel member 13 of each wedge strip element in its grasping of the bristles.

Means for connecting the holder bars 25 together with their lower margins in contact and for tightly grasping strip-brush elements 12 may comprise a plurality of spaced bolt and nut assemblies 40, each assembly comprising a bolt 41 which may pass through alined openings in the holder bars 25 spaced from the lower longitudinal edge portions 28. The bolt 41 also extends through an aligned port 45 provided in the element 20 formed on the spider member 18. Upon tightening of nut 43, it will be readily apparent that the holder bars are drawn into cooperable nested relation and tightly grasp and support the stripbrush elements 12. 7

Means for adjustably. supporting the brush holder 11 on the spider member 18 may comprise a plurality of aligned radially spaced openings 45 provided in each support element 20. A brush holder 11 may be initially mounted in the spider members 18 with the nut and bolt assemblies 40 extending into openings 45 nearest the axle 17. Such mounting will provide a brush means of a selected outer circumference as measured by the ends pit to the support element 20 at the adjacent opening 45.

Thus, as the bristles wear, a plurality of radially outwardly adjustments may be made for maintaining the brush means at a pre-selected outer circumference or diameter.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein an intermediate elongated extruded metal holder bar 25 is employed by the holder bars 25, it will be readily apparent that intermediate bar 25' includes the same structural characteristics and cooperates with an adjacent bar 25 as one of the mating bars 25 shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The brush holder shown in Fig. 3 is designed to carry and support two strip-brush elements .12 in parallel longitudinally extending relation.

The intermediate bar 25' includes an upper longitudinal edge portion 28 and lower longitudinal edge portions 29' and 29 angularly inclined to the plane of bar 25'. Each edge portion 29' and 29 terminates in a margin 30 and 30", each having respective longitudinal faces 32' and 32" lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the bar and adapted to cooperate with an opposed face 32 on a side holder bar 25. Edge portion 29 may be provided with a longitudinal corner portion 34 adapted to be cooperably received within a longitudinal notch 33 on a side bar 25, while margin 30" may be provided with a longitudinal edge face 33" adapted to cooperate with a face of the corner portion 34 of the adjacent side bar 25. It will be noted that the edge portions 29 and 29 are inclined with respect to the bar 25' so as to form an acute angle therewith. I

It will thus be readily apparent that in Figs. 3 and 4, the side bars 25 and the intermediate bar 25' are constructed and arranged so as to cooperate in nesting engagement alignment at their lower margins and so that the side bars 25 may act about parallel fulcrum lines defined by the intermediate bar 25 and thus afford a lever-acting brush holder.

The intermediate bar 25' is provided with longitudinal ribs 31' and 31" spaced from the upper longitudinal edge portion 28. Rib 31 projects from the same side of bar 25' as the lower longitudinal edge portion 29'.

Similarly, rib 31" projects from the opposite Side of bar 25' or from the same side as edge portion 29". Rib 31' is provided with an edge face having a V-shaped tongue extending longitudinally and adapted to be received in the V-shaped groove 36 of a bar 25. Similarly, rib 31 is provided with an edge face having a longitudinal V-shaped groove therein adapted to receive a tongue 37 on the opposed bar 25. Thus, cooperation between the outer side bars 25 and the intermediate bar 25' is virtually the same as between side bars 25.

The upper edge portion 28' is provided with longitudinal wedge faces 38 and 38" for cooperable grasping of channel member 13 when the holder bars are secured together and drawn tight by the nut and bolt assemblies 40.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the two embodiments of the brush holder employing this invention described above may be modified and changed so as to include one or more outer side holder bars 25 or intermediate bars 25'. Thus, two or more stripbrush elements may be supported in parallel relation. The particular construction of the holder bars facilitates alignment of the bars with each other and provides a fulcrum line at lower margins of the assembled holder bars about which the bars may be pivoted for securing in tight grasping relation strip elements inserted between the upper longitudinal edge portions and the composite mating ribs. The mating ribs provide a continuous longitudinally extending support for the strip-brush elements.

It is readily apparent to those skilled in the art that strip-brush elements may be quickly and easily removed from the brush holders by merely unloosening the securing nut and bolt assemblies until the channel member 13 can be withdrawn from between the wedge faces on the upper longitudinal portions. A strip-brush element may be readily inserted between the upper longitudinal edge portions when the nut assembly is loose. In assembly, the lower margins may retain contact along their lower edge face portions.

While a cylindrical form of brush means has been illustrated, it is understood that tapered forms of brush means or other configurations may be readily fabricated by utilizing the brush holder of this invention and arranging the spider members with their supporting elements 20 as desired.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of the holder bars and all such changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. An adjustable, self-aligning lever-action, multi-purpose brush holder for strip-brush elements each including a channel-shaped member provided with bristles extending from the open face of said member, comprising: at least two elongated metal holder bars, each bar having an external surface, a major internal surface paralleling the external surface, an upper longitudinal edge portion, a lower longitudinal edge portion extending angularly and terminating in a lower margin lying beyond the plane of the major internal surface, and a longitudinal rib extending from the internal surface and spaced from the upper longitudinal edge portion; means for connecting said bars together with their lower margins in contact; means carried by the lower margins to facilitate engagement alignment and nesting of said margins; and cooperaitng means carried by the margins of said ribs, said ribs and upper longitudinal edge portions of said bars being adapted to support and grasp a strip-brush element.

2. A brush holder as defined in claim 1, wherein said means carried by the lower margins include longitudinal faces lying in a plane parallel to the plane of said major internal surface, and angularly disposed longitudinal faces cooperable to support the lower margins in nested relation, said longitudinal faces lying in a planar zone parallel 6 to the plane of the major internal surface and spaced beyond the plane of the upper longitudinal edge portion.

3. A brush holder as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper longitudinal edge portion has a longitudinally extending wedge face for urging said channel-shaped member inwardly against said ribs for facilitating grasping of said member, said wedge face lying between the plane of the major internal surface and the plane define-d by the extremities of the longitudinal ribs and the lower longitudinal edge portions.

4. An adjustable, self-aligning lever-action, multipurpose brush holder for strip-brush elements each ineluding a channel-shaped member provided with bristles extending from the open face of said member, compris ing: at least two elongated metal holder bars, each bar including a lowerlongitudinal edge portion extending angularly from said bar and terminating in a lower margin, and a rib provided with an edge margin and spaced from said lower longitudinal edge portion and extending from the same side of the bar as the longitudinal edge portion; means for connectingsaid bars together with their lower margins in contact; means carried by the lower margins to facilitate engagement alignment and nesting of said margins; alignment'means carried by the edge margins on said ribs in interengage'ment; and means provided on said'bars adapted to retain and grasp said channel shaped member.

5'. An adjustable, self+aligning lever-action, multi-purpose brush holder for strip-brush elements each including a channel-shaped member provided with bristles extending from the open face of said member, comprising: a plurality of cooperable elongated metal holder bars, each bar having a width substantially greater than the thickness of the metal section of the bar and defining a major plane, a longitudinally extending edge portion angularly inclined to the major plane of the bar, a longitudinally extending rib projecting from the same side of the bar as said inclined edge portion and spaced therefrom; means for connecting said plurality of bars together with longitudinally extending angularly inclined edge portions in contact; means carried by said inclined edge portions to facilitate engagement alignment and nesting of said edge portions; and alignment means carried by said ribs in interengaged relation, said ribs having a surface adapted to provide a seat for said channel shaped member.

6. An adjustable, self-aligning brush holder for a strip brush element including a member provided with bristles extending from said member, comprising: a pair of elongated metal holder bars, each bar having an external surface, a major internal surface paralleling the external surface, an upper longitudinal edge portion, a lower longitudinal edge portion extending angularly from and terminating in a lower margin lying beyond the major internal surface, and a longitudinal rib extending from the internal surface and located between said upper and lower longitudinal edge portions; means for connecting said bars together with their lower margins in contact; means carried by the lower margins to facilitate engagement alignment of said margins; said ribs and upper longitudinal edge portions of said bars being adapted to support and grasp a strip brush element.

7. An adjustable, self-aligning brush holder for a pinrality of strip brush elements arranged in parallel lines and each including a member provided with bristles extending therefrom, comprising: a plurality of elongated metal holder bars, each bar including an upper longitudinal edge portion and a lower longitudinal edge portion; the lower longitudinal edge portion on each of at least two of said bars extending angularly inwardly and terminating in a lower margin lying in spaced relation to a planar zone defined by said upper longitudinal edge portion; the lower longitudinal edge portion on another of said bars extending angularly in opposite directions from the planar zone defined by the upper longitudinal "7 edge portion of the said another bar; said bars being provided with cooperable longitudinal ribs spaced from upper longitudinal edge portions thereof; means for connecting said plurality of bars together with their lower margins in contact; means provided on the lower margins to facilitate engagement alignment and nesting of said margins, each of said longitudinal ribs being provided with means for cooperable mating contact with an adjacent rib whereby said upper longitudinal edge portions and said ribs are adapted to support and retain a plurality of said strip brush elements.

8. A metal bar for use with a mating bar of similar construction to provide a brush holder and provided with an external surface, a major internal surface paralleling the external surface, an upper longitudinal edge portion, a lower longitudinal edge portion extending angularly from and terminating in a lower margin lying beyond the major internal surface, a longitudinal rib extending from the internal surface and located between said upper and lower longitudinal edge portions, and means on said lower margin to facilitate alignment of said bar with the corresponding margin of a mating bar.

9. An adjustable, self-aligning, multi-purpose brush holder for brush strip elements, each including a member provided with bristles extending from said member,

comprising: a plurality of cooperable elongated holder.

bars, each bar having a width substantially greater than the thickness of the bar and defining a major plane, each bar having longitudinally extending edge means directed away from the major plane of the bar and having longitudinally extending rib means projecting away from the major plane of the'barT on the same side of said plane as the longitudinal edge means and in spaced relation to said longitudinal edge means; means for connecting said plurality of bars together with longitudinally extending edge means in contact; means provided at said longitudinal edge means to facilitate engagement alignment and nesting of said edge means; alignment means provided at free edge margins of said rib means in interengaged relation; and means provided on said bars to retain and grasp said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,168,849 Butler Ian. 18, 1916 2,116,877 Brown May 10, 1938 2,152,358 Palmeri Mar. 28, 1939 2,197,927 Ehrlich Apr. 23, 1940 2,651,798 Lombardi Sept. 15, 1953 2,651,799 Lombardi Sept. 15, 1953 I FOREIGN PATENTS 418,178 Great Britain Oct. 19, 1934 OTHER REFERENCES Aluminum Mouldings (Aluminum Co. of America, 1929), page 29. 

